Articles

Misunderstood and mis-remembered: what is the real story of Bennelong and the colonial Captain Phillip?

Submitted by Paul Daley on

History has told the story of a failed Wangal mediator and enlightened English humanitarian, but a new book sheds new light on the complex relationship

Kate Fullagar, a celebrated historian is sitting in a cafe high above Sydney’s Circular Quay, where the green and gold ferries dock and depart amid that Whiteley-esque vista of azure harbour, totemic bridge and opera house.

My youth has all but faded. But my three-quarter-life crisis is filled with fascinating revelations and boundless joys | Paul Daley

Submitted by Paul Daley on

As someone fortunate to be on the cusp of a seventh decade, it’s not often I sense the icy spectre of mortality. But posterity, familial and cultural, really matters now

In the treacherous depths of middle age, bits of your mortal frame invariably crumble.

My lower right molar, saved by root canal surgery days after I turned 50, finally disintegrated eight years later. The dentist organising a prosthetic replacement assured me: “We guarantee the tooth for 25 years. That should pretty much see you through!’’

Emily Kam Kngwarray: stunning retrospective brings perspective – and agency – to an Australian great

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The National Gallery of Australia’s exhibition contextualises the artist away from the western market, bringing us ‘the old lady’ through the prism of her country, her culture and her community

Driving while distracted is a truly dumb way to die. Hopefully I’ve learned my lesson | Paul Daley

Submitted by Paul Daley on

From applying makeup in the rear-view mirror to watching cat videos on the phone, the morning commute is a parade of appalling driver behaviour

The photograph didn’t lie. There I was in the driver’s seat of my car, stopping at the lights, with one hand on the wheel, the other on my lap and holding my mobile phone.

In a distressing world, moments of beauty seem elusive. I found one in a Sydney theatre | Paul Daley

Submitted by Paul Daley on

With the lights turned off, an audience at a Tim Minchin concert united for a song, sheltering from the inhumanity and division outside

Given humankind’s recent showcasing of its infinite capacity to inflict misery upon itself, joy sometimes seems so elusive as to be borderline extinct.

On Remembrance Day, Australia’s leaders are failing to learn from history | Paul Daley

Submitted by Paul Daley on

It’s political leaders who declare wars – but most are reluctant to grapple with the human and moral cost

It seems inappropriate that politicians have centre stage at moments when Australia and many other countries stop to contemplate what is, now more than ever, the imponderable human cost of war.

Loving Collingwood is about the heart and not the head – and my grandfather’s story helped forge my emotional connection | Paul Daley

Submitted by Paul Daley on

My grandfather ‘played for Collingwood’ but my family is yet to fully untangle his tragic history

Every supporter has a unique personal story about why they barrack for their team. It might involve a special moment. Just as often it’s about where we’ve come from – geographically and genealogically, emotionally and sentimentally.

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